


Finally Free

by acemusic



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Hop gets to tell off Leon, Hopeful Ending, I love my boy so much, Leon is a rapist, M/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Sexual Abuse, Psychological Trauma, Teenage Hop (Pokemon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:13:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23452267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acemusic/pseuds/acemusic
Summary: When Raihan told Hop that Leon had been imprisoned last month, he wasn't ready to believe he was free. The only way he could be sure his nightmare was over was if he saw it for himself.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Hop
Comments: 11
Kudos: 41





	Finally Free

**Author's Note:**

  * For [huevoplatano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/huevoplatano/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Your Biggest Fan](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21811342) by [huevoplatano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/huevoplatano/pseuds/huevoplatano). 



> I wondered when I finished "Your Biggest Fan"- what would've happened if Hop confronted Leon in jail? What would he have said? Here's my answer.

The exterior of the prison was as intimidating as it had sounded on the plane ride over.

A quick security check found Hop in the main entrance to the building. Compared to the over-dramatizations of jails Hop had seen in movies, though, this one didn't actually look too bad. Sure, it was a little cold, and Hop could hear a guard yelling obscenities around the corner of the echoing hallway, but it was relatively clean otherwise. The windows at the very top of the walls shone with a bright light, casting a reassuring warmth in the chill of the air conditioning. The floor, which Hop found himself staring at for the majority of the short time he'd been in the prison, was well cleaned, albeit a little grimy near the walls. Then again, who was Hop to criticize how the police ran such a huge prison anyway? This was a maximum security prison. Arceus only knew who was in here.

A huge hand rested itself on Hop's shoulder, stopping his trembling. Hop hadn't even noticed he was shaking. He raised his eyes from the floor to the worried aquamarine ones of Raihan, who had been taking care of him for the past week. Hop knew it couldn't possibly be easy for the already busy gym leader. With Leon's disappearance to another region, Hop hadn't known where to go after his nightmare was finally over. And it wasn't like he could really go back home.

Of course, his mother was given the news of Leon's imprisonment, and apologized profusely to Hop, begging for forgiveness for kicking him out of the house when he'd needed her most. Hop forgave his mother, but still wasn't comfortable living at home anymore. His room, Leon's room, it all reminded him too much of... of...

"Kid?" Hop blinked. Had Raihan been talking? He always did this, he always zoned out when someone was saying something important. It'd become a bad habit. "Listen, I don't know if you heard what I said back there, but you don't have to do this. Ya know that, right?" Raihan's worried gaze bore into Hop. "This ain't something to be taken lightly. You don't have to prove yourself or nothing. Okay?" Raihan continued, the big man crouching down to reach Hop's eye level. Hop swallowed, nodding in return. As Raihan stood up, he felt his hand get grasped by a two smaller ones, warm and comforting. 

That's right, Gloria had come along as well.

"Hop, are you really sure you want to face him? You know it'll be okay if you're not ready," the new champion said, wide brown eyes gazing up at Hop. Gloria had been so supportive of him, going as far as to talk him out of his panic attacks, hold him at night, and just hang out as friends. Hop's gaze swept to the window behind her, his brother's words echoing in his head.

_"If you tell that girl you like her, what’s that going to do to her? She’ll have to struggle with wanting to move up in the world, or trying to make you happy. She can’t do both, Hop."_

Hop had immediately accepted Leon's words at the time, not wanting to drag Gloria down from her incredible position as the Champion of Galar. And even though Leon had lost a lot of credibility in his mind, he still couldn't help but think that maybe Leon was right about this one thing. This one, minuscule romance that probably started this whole mess.

Maybe Hop wasn't worth the trouble. Maybe Hop would've made things easier for everyone if he'd just laid down and take everything Leon had done to him. If he'd just try to enjoy everything his brother did, then maybe he wouldn't be taking up busy time from these two important figures of Galar just to go to a prison visit. Maybe they wouldn't have to say they loved him.

Leon had said he loved him, too.

Hop shook his head, dispelling his negative thoughts and looking at his new family in the eyes. "Guys, it's okay. I want to do this, I-" Hop took a deep breath before continuing. "I need to do this. I need to prove to myself how much better I am without him." Hop stood up a little straighter and tried to set his face to a look of determination. It probably wasn't working.

Raihan and Gloria shared a concerned glance. Raihan sighed. "Okay, kid, if you're absolutely sure. Let's go see where the idiot is."

The officer was very understanding of Hop's predicament as he led the three Galarians down to a private room at the end of the long, quiet hallway. The door was labeled "Private Visiting Room #2, High Security." It creaked open to reveal a room entirely painted black. A large desk with several computers revealed audio equipment and security footage of everything that was going on in the room at the moment. Hop looked at one of the panels and saw his own tired eyes and green jacket in the dull light. In front of the desk was a large tinted window, probably made so that everyone could look into the room next door, but that no one could see the other way. And through the glass Hop saw a small table, two chairs, and in one of them--

Leon.

There was his "champion brother," champagne eyes dulled with fatigue, his once-long hair messily cut and crudely pulled into a side ponytail that just barely reached his shoulder. The loose, paper looking shirt he wore almost looked like he was wearing hospital scrubs, ripped sweatpants hanging loosely down to his ankles, cuffed by chains that faintly glimmered in the light. His arms, handcuffed to the chair behind him, were littered with scars and bruises that Hop wasn't sure that Leon had given himself, or if his fellow inmates had beat him into.

Hop had heard stories of what people did to rapists in prison cells. They were looked down on with horrible disgust, like child murderers and whatever the inmates considered to be "immoral." Anyone could be subject to retaliation if their crime was deemed inhumane enough. Leon probably took some hits. 

Hop almost felt sorry for Leon. Almost.

The guard walked up next to Hop, catching his attention. "Okay, kid, here's what's going to happen. We can't have you get too close to him, since he's been pretty mentally unstable since he got here. It shouldn't be too much of a problem since those restraints haven't been broken by a single prisoner, but we're going to keep those precautions in place anyway. You following me?" When Hop nodded slowly, the guard continued. "Officer Jenny-" he indicated towards a woman with aquamarine hair, who nodded solemnly- "and I will be in the room with you the whole time. You can say what you want, but if things get out of hand, we're going to have to cut your session short." He crouched down to Hop's eye level. Why did everyone have to do that? "You're real brave for doing this, kid. But don't take it too far, alright? You've probably got a lot to get off your chest, but don't do something you'll regret."

Hop considered the guard's words for a moment. He wasn't wrong, there were plenty of things he'd like to do to Leon for his actions. There were things he'd like to do to his big brother for locking him up in a room in Wyndon for three damn months. But the guard was right. If Hop got violent, it would probably only make things worse. So he nodded in agreement, hoping to reassure the guard that he wouldn't try anything. The guard nodded back, and moved toward the door. "Whenever you're ready, kid."

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around Hop's torso. Gloria had managed to get behind him and hug him without making a sound. Hop turned around and looked at his childhood best friend questioningly. Gloria opened her mouth, then closed it, as if she was hesitant to speak. The look in her eyes seemed to convey almost everything Hop thought she was thinking. Gloria's mouth opened again. "No matter what he says, what he makes you think, you are stronger than you know. You don't need him."

Hop nodded curtly and stepped towards the dividing door. "I'm ready."

The door creaked open. The first thing Hop saw was his brother's head jerking up almost fearfully. His dull eyes somehow lit up with recognition, and a desperate crazy smile plastered itself onto Leon's features. As Hop stepped further into the room, both officers followed and took their place behind the boy, against the wall in order to give the two the most privacy they could afford in prison.

"H-Hop, y-you..." Leon's voice was raspier than he remembered. "Y-You came back to me!" Hop swallowed slowly. Here he was, facing his own damn brother and he couldn't even think of a way to respond to the first damn sentence he'd heard from him in a month. How pathetic was that?

"I-I missed you Hop, I missed you so much, my life has been nothing without you, I-" Leon laughed, the cackle of a madman, as tears streamed down his face- "You're my whole world, Hop, I don't know how I've been able to live without you, I just..." Leon seemed to be laughing and crying at the same time. The sight of it sickened Hop to his very core, but he opened his mouth anyway.

"I've missed you, too." Hop could feel his eyes begin to grow heavy with tears that threatened to fall if he kept talking, but he couldn't stop himself. "It's been a damn month of me being free, from the horrible nightmare of a life I lived with you, but I still miss you." Hop roughly laughed, but it felt so empty to him. Like the joy of his laughter had been sucked right out of his body. "How sick is that?"

"Hop, I-" Leon tried to speak, but Hop interrupted him just as he was about to plead.

"Do you even know what you've done to me, Leon?" A spark of fear flickered in Leon's eyes, just barely. Anyone could've missed it. But Hop knew it was there.

Good.

Leon needed to know exactly how Hop felt.

"I trusted you, I looked up to you with everything I had, and- and what did you do?" Hop grit his teeth together. This was what he'd needed all along. He finally had the chance to tell his brother how much he hated him without being afraid of getting locked up in a damn room for hours on end. Hop didn't have to be afraid of getting slammed into bed, feel himself get torn apart by Leon's twisted love, spend every hour of the day wondering what Leon was going to do next. He finally had control again. "You force yourself onto me, drag me away from everyone I love and care about, and- and-" Hop clenched a fist. "You lock me up in a damn room and fucking _molest_ me every time you come back!"

Leon's fear had quickly transformed into denial and despair. "Hop, I-I didn't _molest_ you, I just wanted you to feel good! I didn't hurt you, you were just embarassed!" Hop stared at his brother incredulously. What the hell had happened to the calm and caring Leon he'd known for so long?

"Embarassed? Embarassed?! I told you straight out that I didn't want to be with you! I gave you every possible rejection I could've given you!" Hop shouted, clutching his head in his hands. He took a deep breath from his nose, and sighed. If he didn't keep himself composed, he'd probably have to get restrained from trying to attack Leon. Hop's hands dropped to his sides and he looked into Leon's eyes again.

"You know, I kept thinking that maybe this was all my fault. If I'd tried to love you more, if I tried to enjoy the sick things you did to me, then none of this would've happened, right?" Leon looked almost relieved, like he thought Hop was seeing things his way. Hop wouldn't let that look stay there any longer. "But I know better. I've always known better, I just didn't believe it myself.

"When Raihan told me that you were locked away, I couldn't bring myself to be relieved. I just didn't believe that my living nightmare was over after trying and failing to escape the apartment. But now, I'm... I'm free." Those words set loose a wave of relief over Hop. He really was okay, he really was free. "I'm never going to have to wonder again whether or not I'll be safe at night, safe from your damned kisses and wandering hands. I'll never have to do whatever it takes to keep you away from me." Hop laughed, tears streaming down his cheeks. It wasn't like the laugh he'd made when he was still so guilty about everything that had happened. It wasn't like the laugh he made when Leon had told him he'd loved him in the hospital. This laugh made him feel alive again, whole again. But it ended just as quickly as it came when Leon spoke up again.

"Hop, no, I didn't do any of that to you to hurt you! I-I love you, Hop!" Leon screamed, tears rolling down his cheeks as the cuffs shook against the back of his chair. "I never hurt you, I love you too much to do that to you, I only tried to make you feel good, that's it, I swear! I only pushed you because I knew you'd love it, that you'd learn to love me... I swear..." Leon spasmed with grief as he hung his head, murmuring to himself. A twinge of pity struck Hop's heart, and this time he didn't deny it.

"Everything you did to me, Leon... that wasn't love." Hop approached his brother a little more, still attempting to keep his distance. "You know that, too."

Leon's head snapped up again. "No, it- Hop, I just love you, I love you so damn much, I- I'm not a pervert, I- You were just too shy, I just wanted you to feel good, I never hurt you, _I never hurt you, Hop!_ " He screamed with a near tone of finality. Hop resisted the urge to flinch. "I-I just want you to love me..."

Hop looked Leon dead in the eyes. He saw despair, denial, fear, and madness, of course, but underneath all of that was loneliness. Leon probably didn't know the magnitude of his actions, despite Hop's efforts. It was pitiful. Hop shook his head slowly.

"I don't love you, Leon. And I will never love you again for as long as I live," Hop said as he turned his back on his brother. 

Here he was, saying goodbye to Leon one last time. Leon, the champion he'd always looked up to. Leon, the big brother he'd loved so much. Leon, the one who'd given him his first Pokemon. Leon, his best friend. "Goodbye, Leon. I hope I never see you again." Hop said with finality as he glanced at his brother one last time. Leon had stopped talking to himself, stopped shaking in his chair. He just stared at Hop with a lost, hopeless expression as tears ran down his cheeks. The door creaked as it shut again. Hop sighed with relief.

This is what he came for. And now he was free. 

For real this time.


End file.
